Frequently Asked Questions About Connecticut Workers’ Comp Claims
Workers’ compensation benefits are available to the wide majority of Connecticut employees, to help them stay afloat financially and recover from injury. However, it is common for injured workers to have questions or concerns. Knowing your rights and your options is crucial moving forward – getting the right answers can make the difference between your claim’s success and failure.
Is There a Time Limit For Filing A Claim?
In Connecticut, a person who is injured at work has one year from the date of a specific injury to file a formal claim. Claims for repetitive trauma also have a 1-year statute of limitations which reflects back to the last date of injurious exposure from the employment activity. While there are limited exceptions, failure to file a Notice of Claim within the 1-year time frame means that the employee is forever barred from pursuing their rights to benefits or treatment stemming from the claimed injury. Many employees mistakenly believe that a First Report of Injury filed by the employer after notifying them of an injury qualifies as formal notice. It does not. A First Report of Injury is required to be filed by the employer once an employee notifies them of an injury. A Notice of Claim must be filed with the Workers’ Compensation Commission and the injured employee’s employer by way of a “Form 30C.” This form can be obtained online or at any District office and filed by certified mail and/or personal presentation. If you are represented by counsel, the Form 30C is typically filed on your behalf by the firm with the relevant information regarding the injury.
What Benefits Am I Entitled To?
Workers’ compensation benefits are generally based on lost wages, wage replacement and any permanent impairment an injured worker sustains resulting from a work injury. The various categories of benefits are determined by workers’ compensation laws and are paid at different stages of a claim. In order to make a claim for benefits related to lost wages, the responsible insurance carrier must receive medical confirmation that an injured worker is either unable to perform any work functions or can perform some work activity with restrictions. It is the injured worker’s responsibility to provide medical proof that they cannot work in order to obtain wage loss benefits.
Can I Choose My Doctor?
Unless the employer has a specific network directory of physicians for the relevant body part or systems injured, the employee has the right to choose a licensed physician within the state of Connecticut to treat their injuries. The insurance carrier may initially deny treatment with a specific physician until a referral is made to a specialist. The initial stages of treatment are often crucial to an employee’s recovery. It is important to make the request for treatment as soon as the request or referral for care is made with the responsible insurance carrier’s agent or adjuster. Any dispute regarding immediate need for care can be addressed with the presiding Administrative Law Judge at an Informal Conference within the Commission District for which the claim was made. It is highly recommended that you consult with a Board Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist attorney should the carrier be contesting the need for treatment following a work injury. Time is of the essence and the need for medical care is paramount to a pending claim.
Contact A Stratford, CT Workers’ Compensation Attorney
If you have been injured on the job, you have the right to seek workers’ compensation benefits, but it is important to know your rights and responsibilities during the process. A Stratford workers’ compensation attorney from the Morizio Law Firm is ready and willing to try and assist you with your case. Contact our office today at 475-338-3505 for a free consultation.
Source:
portal.ct.gov/WCC/Home-Forms/Workers-Compensation-Forms
